Tag: Mel Kiper Jr.

Phillip Dorsett is flying up NFL draft boards. How high can he go? One well coiffed analyst believes he’s headed to the top.

In his latest mock draft released Wednesday, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has Dorsett, the former Hurricanes standout wide receiver, going 31st overall to the defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks. He is one of three UM players Kiper projects to go in the first round, along with offensive tackle Ereck Flowers (16th overall, Houston Texans) and inside linebacker Denzel Perryman (28th, Denver Broncos).

Phillip Dorsett races toward a touchdown last season against Cincinnati. (Getty Images)

Kiper’s reasoning for his Dorsett-to-Seattle projection:

Another player who shined in Mobile at the Senior Bowl, Dorsett would offer Seattle something they simply don’t have on the roster right now, which is a player who can consistently create space with quickness in the passing game. The Seahawks are simply far too reliant on Russell Wilson’s ability to extend plays and allow wide receivers time to get open, and Dorsett is a Porsche in terms of acceleration and the ability to start fast and stop quickly. He also can beat you deep if you let him to run in a straight line. Remember that Paul Richardson will be coming off an ACL surgery recovery period as the 2015 season starts, so an already thin wide receiving corps isn’t a given to be better without any additions.

Dorsett, from Fort Lauderdale-St. Thomas Aquinas, led UM with 871 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior and averaged 24.19 yards per catch, the best among non-College Football Playoff FBS teams.

The Hurricanes haven’t produced three first-round picks in a single draft since 2007, when Brandon Meriweather (24th), Jon Beason (25th) and Greg Olsen (31st) were chosen late on opening night.

The last Cane to be selected in the first round was Kenny Phillips (2008). That streak, UM’s longest first-round draft drought since 1960-67, will almost certainly be broken this year.

The Hurricanes had 14 consecutive first-round picks from 1995-2008. UM has had at least one player drafted every year since 1974.

Chickillo (sport administration), Berrios (undeclared, business), Heurtelou (liberal arts), Fentress (biology) and Vogel (HSC general, or health sciences) were five of 65 players football players who made the list from 128 school nominations.

Cardinal Newman product Travis Rudolph, a freshman receiver from Florida State majoring in sports management, was selected as well.

To be nominated, a player must have earned a 3.0 GPA for the previous semester and have maintained a 3.0 average during their academic career.

It’s been a fine spring for Vogel, a redshirt sophomore from Tampa. UM coach Al Golden announced last Wednesday he was placing Vogel on scholarship this season. As a walk-on transfer from Florida last year, Vogel finished fourth in the ACC in punting average (42.83) with a long of 65, placing 21 of 52 punts inside the 20.

If Mel Kiper Jr.‘s predictions ring true, the Hurricanes’ 2015 draft class will be the best in several years.

Kiper, ESPN’s longtime NFL draft analyst, believes junior left tackle Ereck Flowers will become the first UM first-rounder since 2008, and named three others — junior running back Duke Johnson, linebacker Denzel Perryman and wide receiver Phillip Dorsett — with potential to go in the top two to three rounds.

UM hasn’t produced a second-round pick since 2011, when offensive lineman Orlando Franklin and cornerback Brandon Harris were chosen that high. That draft class also had two third-rounders (WR Leonard Hankerson, DE Allen Bailey), a fourth-rounder (LB Colin McCarthy) and two sixth-rounders (TE Richard Gordon, P Matt Bosher).

Safety Kenny Phillips was UM’s last first-rounder, in 2008. The Hurricanes set an NFL record in 2004, when six Hurricanes heard their names called in the opening round. UM had a first-round pick every year from 1995-2008 and from 1987-92.

“It’s not where it needs to be, but it’s getting closer and closer,” Kiper said of UM’s talent level. “Just depth-wise is where they have to build that up. You’ve got some really good young players that you saw putting up good numbers. With [Brad] Kaaya at quarterback, build around him.”

Kiper said Flowers is “solidly in round one,” and has him slotted 19th overall to Cleveland. “Flowers leaving early, people maybe didn’t expect that during the season,” Kiper said (note: outsiders, perhaps; within the program, Flowers was long seen as a three-year guy). “But he’s a kid who’s got enormous talent, decent feet, versatility to play left tackle or right tackle.”

Kiper’s top two running backs are Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon, but he has Johnson right behind them. “Duke can run outside, he’s got that burst,” Kiper said. “He can catch the ball. A heck of a player. I think he’s a second-round talent you might be able to get in the fourth round.”

Dorsett will be a a second- or third-round pick because he “can fly,” Kiper said. “He’s a vertical stretch receiver.” He said he thinks Perryman will be a second-round pick.

Kiper on tight end Clive Walford: “I have him as the fourth highest-rated tight end. He can get down and stretch that deep middle area, which he showed in some games this year. Caught the ball well. He’s not going to have the great, great 40 time that some of these other guys will, but he plays faster and he’ll test [well].

“I think he’s a guy you get into … early- to mid-day three, he’ll make somebody look good at that point, I believe. I think he can be a No. 2 tight end. He’ll contribute. I think Walford’s got a chance to play in this league.”

Asked if cornerback Ladarius Gunter, center Shane McDermott and offensive guard Jon Feliciano could sneak into the late rounds, Kiper said: “Those are some of the names. McDermott right now I have as the seventh or eighth center. That’s a late-round, free-agency guy. Feliciano, same thing.”

Campbell gives back: Former UM defensive lineman Calais Campbell (himself a second-rounder from 2008) donated $1.6 million to endow a defensive line scholarship at UM. It is the largest gift by a former UM athlete, surpassing the $1.5 million former running back Ken Hunt donated last month. The defensive linemen meeting room at UM will be named after Campbell, now a Pro Bowler with the Arizona Cardinals.

“Efficient on offense” is not something you often hear in reference to the 2013-14 Miami Hurricanes, but that’s exactly how ESPN’s commentators described the team’s first-half performance in Monday’s win over Florida State.

It was that kind of night.

Nearly everything went well for the Canes in a 77-73 win in Tallahassee, a much-needed victory after UM lost five of six and hadn’t won a conference game in five tries.

“If you had been in the locker room after the game, you would have thought we would have just won the ACC Championship,” coach Jim Larranaga said Tuesday on the Hurricane Hotline radio show. ”The players were very, very happy, very excited.”